Category: Golf, Travel,Nature

The excitement builds as we are collected from our hotel by Daryl, our guide for the next five days on our Alps to Ocean cycle ride. 300 kms in five days!

After a briefing at Tuatara Tours headquarters in Christchurch, we hit the road. Twelve intrepid travellers, with four Kiwis and eight Aussies.

Morning tea in Geraldine, lunch in Lake Tekapo township then we mount our bikes and are off. The ride to Twizel is 55kms, and the weather perfect. We check into our comfortable accommodation in the Lakes Motel, scrub up and dine at Poppies restaurant, which is excellent.

After a great breakfast, we are back on the bikes and make our way to Lake Ohau. The weather is perfect, and an idyllic ride around the lake to our destination, Ohau Lodge. After lunch, it is back on the bikes, and a 17km ride to the historic Quailburn Woolshed. A tough uphill ride .. thank heavens for e bikes! Daryl is there to meet us, and transport us back to Ohau Lodge for drinks, dinner and bed.

Day 3, and we awake to very strong winds at Ohau. Daryl decided the best course of action is to do Day 4’s ride today. It will involve a fair bit of driving, but so be it. After a visit to the nearby Clay Cliffs, we motor out past Otematata, and commence our ride. We stop at Kurow for lunch, then continue to our destination of Duntroon. The wind is very strong, but mostly at our backs, which is appreciated! It is then back to Omarama, and our very comfortable Sierra Motel. Dinner is at a local restaurant and is top quality.

Day 4, and with the weather now fine and calm,we can do the Day 3 ride through Omarama and around Lakes Benmore and Aviemore. These are lakes created on the Waitaki River by the hydro electric schemes of the 1960’s. The track around Benmore was steep, rough and quite spectacular! A great days riding, with some of the group opting for some tasting at a local winery. It was then on to our accommodation and dinner, at Waitaki Braids.

Another perfect day weather wise, although a tad cooler. This is our final day on this epic bicycle journey. It is from Duntroon to Oamaru, a distance of 54kms. We pass the Elephant rocks, ride through on old railway tunnel, across farmland and down into the attractive township of Oamaru.

This has been a really enjoyable tour. The weather, accommodation, food and fellow travellers were all excellent. Tuatara Tours do it very well, with a special mention for our guide and leader, Daryl. He was terrific .. very capable, nothing phased him and a great bloke.

So on to Christchurch, and after dropping off our rental car, we check into the Muse Art Hotel on Manchester Street. A nice hotel in a perfect central location.

The weather is warm and windy, and in fact there is a fire blazing out of control in the Port Hills. A wander around the city features lunch from the busy Riverside Markets.

Dinner is at Rascal Bistro and Bar, literally around the corner from our Hotel. They specialise in small plates, and the food is excellent.

After breakfast at the Hotel, we walk through the city, the Botanical Gardens, back through the city then to Little High for lunch. Warm, sunny day and lots of people around, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Lots of construction going on in central Christchurch, including the new Rugby and Events stadium.

Dinner is at Francesca’s Italian Kitchen, one of our local favourites. It delivers once again! We are all set for our cycle journey, starting tomorrow.

Our accommodation in Hanmer is an apartment in the Clear Ridge complex, which is spacious and comfortable. It is very centrally located.

We build a thirst by walking up to the Conical Hill lookout and back. Dinner that night is the Spice Village, an Indian restaurant which ticks all the boxes.

Another glorious warm,sunny day, and after breakfast at Salt and Pepper cafe, we go for a walk around the perimeter of the town. Lots of new houses.

In the afternoon, we head to the famous Hanmer Springs hot pools. It is quite a large complex, with several hot mineral pools, a “normal” pool plus hydro slides and a couple of fun slides using two person rafts. Good fun!

The OldPharts many months ago booked the “Alps to Ocean” cycle tour with Tuatara Tours. This is a 300km cycle ride from Lake Tekapo to Oamaru. Done over five days, on e-bikes, the tour company provides food and accommodation. Needless to say, the adventurers have been doing their preparation, and are making their way to Christchurch, where the tour begins.

Rather than flying direct to Christchurch, they fly to Nelson, then three nights in nearby Mapua. A great chance to catch up with local residents Cameron and Maria. The former is an old school friend of Blair’s and the two couples have had many ski holidays together.

After a very pleasant barbecue dinner and catch up at Cameron and Maria’s home in Tasman Village, the next day the troops decide on a cycling excursion.

After breakfast and coffee at Alberta’s (superb), Cameron, Sue and Blair catch the Mapua Wharf ferry across to Rabbit Island. A really good bike ride, almost out to Richmond and back.

That evening, a beer and catch up at the Golden Bear brewery with Cameron, Maria, old school mate Doug Hall and his partner Mariette. Then fish and chips from the Smokehouse.

The next morning, after breakfast again at Alberta’s, we drove into Nelson and visited some art galleries. Sue splashed out from a local artist, and we then went to the Suter and lunch.

For a final evening, it is over to Cameron and Maria’s and home made pizzas via their portable Ooni pizza oven. Delicious!

As per usual, a really enjoyable stay in Mapua. Our accommodation at Terra Nostra is perfect, and there is so much to see and do in the area.

We load up the rental car, and drive to Hanmer Springs.

From Windsor, it is a very straightforward 20 minute drive to Heathrow Airport. We drop off our rental car, and prepare for the 12 hour flight to Shanghai. We have a 24 hour stopover. A chance to stretch the legs and have a night in a comfy bed. We have been to Shanghai before, and are not particularly excited about returning. It is a huge modern city, full of high rises and teeming with humanity.

After an uneventful flight, we check into our hotel, the Pudong Shangri-La, get changed and go exploring. Although weary, we continue on for as long as we can, before heading back to our hotel. Talking of which, it is very comfortable, with afternoon tea, happy hour with food and breakfast all inclusive.

After a long relaxing sleep, we head down to the breakfast buffet. It is outstanding.. every breakfast food item you could think of!

Back out to the Airport, and Air New Zealand home to New Zealand. A time to reflect on what was a great family holiday. A trip of a lifetime!

We have had three very enjoyable days in the Wye Valley, and now to our final England destination, Windsor. This is an easy two and a half hour drive, and we stop on the way for a coffee in Criclade.

We arrive in Windsor too soon to check in to our accommodation, so have lunch at a Japanese restaurant, Ichiban. Very nice. We then have a wander around Windsor and Eton, before moving into our digs, which suits us perfectly . Tomorrow we will explore Windsor Castle and surrounds.

Dinner is at a nearby Middle Eastern restaurant, Best Meze Grill. We were all very happy with our meals, with the meat kebab choices cooked to perfection.

With Scott and Eva heading into London to catch up with friends, the Old Pharts are to explore town centre, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park. An overcast and drizzly day, but this doesn’t deter them. An easy walk into the town centre from their apartment, and morning coffee on the way at Gail’s Bakery.

After wandering into the town centre to watch the Christmas lights being turned on, it was on to our final dinner in England. We chose the Japanese restaurant Misugo. The group all love Japanese food, and Misugo didn’t disappoint.

So the Finlayson group family UK travels comes to its conclusion. It has been a wonderful travel experience.. a trip of a lifetime! An overnight stopover in Shanghai before flying home.

After six enjoyable and relaxing days at Cricket St Thomas, we loaded up the cars and motored back to Bristol. Andrew and Neethd are leaving the group to move into their flat in Brislington, Bristol. A farewell lunch at the Knowle, and on to Newland, Wye Valley for the remaining four. We settled into our accommodation in Rose Cottage, then dined at Amici in Coleford. Excellent Italian food and service.

The day dawned fine, so an opportunity to explore one of the many walks in the area. We chose the King Arthur’s caves circular, featuring Symonds Yat. All up, about 11kms. Dinner for the evening was just down the road in the Newland village pub, the Ostrich Inn. A classic old pub, with a log fire and excellent food.

Our final day in the Wye Valley, and with the agreeable weather forecast, we come up with a cunning plan. Firstly, Tintern Abbey and some morning tea, then on to Monmouth for lunch, then an afternoon walk.

Lunch in Monmouth was at the popular Estero Lounge, and we were all very happy with our lunch choices. It was then time to burn off the lunch excesses, with the 6km Monmouth and King’s Wood trail. The terrain was a mixture of lanes, fields and woodland. It was at times heavy underfoot, and took us almost two hours.

For dinner, back to Coleford and our friends at Amici Italian restaurant. We enjoyed it so much the first time, we just had to go back. It didn’t disappoint!

About an hour south of Bristol, and 10 minutes out of Chard is Monks Yard and Jordan’s Courtyard. This was to be our lunch stop. The cafe at Monks Yard was very busy, so we ambled around to Jordan’s Courtyard. Plenty of room, with a more upmarket lunch menu. After a bit of a wait, the food was served. Delicious and well worth the wait.

On to our accommodation, Swandown Lodges at Cricket St Thomas, about 4 miles east of Chard. A spacious, warm, modern villa with the added bonus of a hot tub! Dinner is at the Windwhistle pub, an easy walk down the road. The food was fine .. classic pub grub.

Day 2 in Chard, and we walked from our villa to the nearby Warners Hotel, and Cricket House. Our accommodation enables access to their gym and swimming pool. Later in the morning, we drove down to the Dorset coast and Lyme Regis. A walk along the Cobb and beach, lunch, then a play in the Entertainment Arcade.

Dinner was provided by Scott and Eva, with Burritos filled with their bean, lentil and mushroom mix. Restaurant quality!

The next morning we were greeted by rain, but it quickly cleared away, enabling our walking excursion. This is to be from Beer to Branscombe, with lunch at the Masons Arms. A great walk and lunch!

Saturday in Chard, and it’s Remembrance Day. The lads pop down the road to the Cricket St Thomas golf club driving range, and play the par 3 pitch and putt. They have a round of golf teed up for Monday.

In the afternoon, Sue drives the group to Yeovil to watch a football match, Yeovil Town v Dover. The home team win 2-0. Blair stays back and walks down to Cricket House and back. Neethd and Andrew provide dinner .. top quality!

Sunday, and time to try the Roast lunch menu at Cricket St Thomas golf club. Absolutely superb, with large portions and ample vegetables,potatoes and gravy. We then went on to Sue’s brother Jim and his wife Nicky for a family catch-up. Great to see them all.

The next day, Sue’s other brother Sean organised for the lads to play golf at Cricket St Thomas golf club. We were joined by club member and old family friend Mark Barry, and had a really enjoyable round. It was windy and the course was damp underfoot, but no problems for Blair, who gave Scott and Andrew a golfing lesson!

With Andrew and Neethd securing a room in a flat in Bristol, it is an opportunity for the group to check out this highly rated city. They are moving in with other Kiwis, with the plan of commencing the working part of their overseas experience.

Dinner for the evening was a Japanese restaurant on Gloucester Road, Ramen Ya. Absolutely delicious, and very good value.

The next morning, Neethd and Andrew head off with Sue to buy homewares for their Bristol flat. Blair, Scott and Eva walk into Bristol Central for an explore. The inner city turns out to be vibrant, with interesting areas and “nooks and crannies.”

Dinner that evening was at La Florentino Italian restaurant on Gloucester Road. Excellent food!

The next morning, we drove 30 miles south to the Village of Winscombe. The purpose was to meet up with Sue’s Aunt Joan, cousin Sally and her husband George. We met at the local pub for lunch, then back to Sally and George’s rural property for a walk.

We decided to dine in, with Thai takeaways on the menu. It looked like plenty of food, but there wasn’t much left by the time we finished!

Our final day in Bristol, so we visited Clifton, the “upmarket” area of Bristol. It also features the Clifton Suspension Bridge, spanning the Avon gorge and River Avon.

And now, on to Chard!

After two most enjoyable days in York, the Kiwi travellers are up and off to Sheffield. This large South Yorkshire city is on the edge of the Peak District. This is a place of wild peaks and rugged moorland with views that stretch forever. After stopping for a coffee in Hathersage, we begin a loop walk in nearby Stanage Edge. A vigorous three hour walk, with muddy tracks due to heavy recent rains.

Dinner that evening for Blair and Sue was Engin’s Turkish restaurant, just a gentle stroll up the road. The rest of the group went to a fireworks display in the Gardens in the city.

The next morning was cold, grey and damp, but the two seniors decided to head into town, then out to Chatsworth House, where the Xmas Market had commenced. A big crowd at the markets, undeterred by the constant heavy drizzle.